PATIENCE is a virtue, and a maturing Coventry showed it in plenty to secure an outstanding victory over league leaders Ealing in a game which was a credit to National One rugby.

Two tries down inside 14 minutes, largely through their own mistakes, Cov regrouped to lead 22-14 with 20 minutes left only to then concede two more tries in quick succession.

But young heads refused to drop and Cov’s reply was another indication of just how much progress they have made over the last year as they played their way back into a position from which to win the game and took their time to make it count with an Ethan Waller try, also securing a bonus point, in the sixth minute of added time.

The roar which greeted the final whistle showed just how much the crowd – rising game by game – appreciated the effort shown across the whole 80 minutes, while in a wider context the value of the result cannot be under-estimated as Cov remain firmly in the leading pack approaching the halfway mark in the season and with confidence growing all the time.

Electing to play into a strong wind, Cov went behind inside 90 seconds as early errors proved costly. Elliott Read missed touch from Ealing’s kick-off, Peter Hodgkinson replied with a long kick into the right corner, and when Cov lost the line-out, Ealing created space outside for centre Sam Wardingley to go over for a try which was well converted by Ben Ward.

Cov showed their intent with an enterprising passage of play which produced a Luke Myring penalty on 11 minutes but Matt Tibbatts knocked on Ealing’s restart and the visitors struck from the ensuing scrum by stretching Cov to the right and then moving the ball back inside for prop Tim Brockett to power over, Ward again converting.

Cov’s response was impressive, driving the opposition back at a line-out from a Myring penalty for Adam Parkins to claim the try, and prompted by some excellent work at scrum-half from Lewis Barker, the home side finished the half in some style – Andy Murray sprinting 80 metres to the posts, only for play to be brought back to their 22 for a forward pass right at the start of the move, before a contender for try of the season put them in front of the half-time whistle.

The build-up began with another line-out surge on the right of the field, just inside Cov’s own half, and with the whole side involved it finished countless phases later when Sam Herrington crashed over midway out on the left for Myring to convert.

Ealing had the better of the third quarter, even taking two Cov scrums, but apart from one close call when dangerman Phil Chesters was denied by a forward pass, the hosts never really looked like conceding with much of the game in midfield and they had a half-chance to add to their lead when a 48-metre Myring penalty fell short.

With Cov’s scrum now clearly in the ascendancy as the game dipped into the final quarter, Myring fired a penalty 50 metres into Ealing’s right corner, the forwards did their job again and Parkins went over for his second try which was converted to put Cov two scores clear at 22-14.

Ealing were far from finished, however, and two tries in the space of five minutes swung the balance back their way – Wardingley grabbing his second in the right corner when Cov finally ran out of tacklers after a period under intense pressure before an arcing run by winger Owen Bruynseels took him round the defence to cross on the left, Ward converting well.

Back came Cov, another powerful scrum and forward charge producing a penalty, and after a four-minute pause while injured Ealing flanker Karl Gibson was treated, Myring found touch eight metres from the line in the shadow of the stand and so began another long and patient process as Cov worked the ball infield to the posts where Waller finished things off.

Myring converted, but there was still time for Ealing to mount one last attack which had Cov hanging on at full stretch until the ball went loose in the home 22 and Ben Russell swept it away to safety as the final whistle blew.